Plus, Diane Keaton spotted downtown
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University of North Carolina Asheville

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81º | Sunny | 0% chance of precipitation | Sunrise 6:53 a.m. | Sunset 8:07 p.m.
 

🎂 Hood Huggers turns 20

Hood Huggers International celebrates 20 year anniversary
launch-asheville-nc-blue-note-junction-avltoday
DeWayne Burton and Safi Martin, founders of the Urban Peace Gardens and visionaries of the Blue Note Junction. | Photo by Catherine Siravantha
Twenty years ago, local DeWayne Barton started a community garden on an overgrown lot in the historic Burton Street neighborhood. That was the beginning of Hood Huggers International, a nonprofit that seeks to rebuild Affrilachia through the arts, environmental stewardship, and new social enterprises.

Over the last two decades, that modest garden — now called Peace Gardens and Market — has transformed into a colorful community compound, brimming with sculptures, murals, greenhouses, an outdoor oven, and performance + gathering spaces. It even has a furnished bungalow that hosts artists residencies.

Peace Garden

The Peace Gardens & Market hosts many great community service days + plant sales.

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Photo via @peacegardener

“[Twenty] years is a significant milestone, especially when you’ve been operating from the grassroots level,” shares Barton. “We’ve been able to weather challenges, and ... create opportunities for individuals and organizations throughout the city and the country, and even globally.”

Specifically, that’s meant creating programs like Hood Tours, which explores Black history landmarks throughout Asheville, and co-founding Green Opportunities, a green jobs training program for under-resourced communities. As for the farm: it’s producing thousands of pounds of fresh produce a year, much of which is delivered through free CSAs for neighborhood elders.

Last year, Hood Huggers also shared plans for The Blue Note Junction, its most ambitious project yet, which aims to add a commercial kitchen, retail market, neighborhood spa, theater space, and other community assets to Burton Street.

Want to help celebrate 20 years? Head to the Spring Fling on Saturday, April 29 from 11 to 5 p.m. Festivities include:
  • A bilingual puppet show, bounce house, kids zone, and basketball tournament
  • Live music from Devin Jones, Shidaria Solomon, Orange Moon, Mike Martinez, and more
  • Food from Cooking With Comedy, The Hop, Daddy D’s, and Mr. Anderson’s Hot Dogs
  • Plant + craft sale from primarily BIPOC vendors
  • A mural installation from artist Jenny Pickens and local youth
Mission Health
 
Events

Wednesday, April 19
  • Candlelight Restorative Yin and Gong Bath | Wednesday, April 19-Wednesday, Sept. 27 | 7-8 p.m. | Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain | $9-$18 | Reset your nervous system with a gentle, candlelit flow.
  • Let’s Read Poetry Together! | Wednesday, Apr. 19 | 6-7 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Local poet Victoria Bender will facilitate a relaxed poetry share in this virtual event.
Thursday, April 20
  • 420 Fest w/ The Secret B Sides, Orange Moon, & Leisureville | Thursday, Apr. 20 | 10 p.m. | Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave., Asheville | $12-$20 | Celebrate this unofficial Asheville holiday with performances from The Secret B-Sides, Orange Moon, and Leisureville.
  • 369 Short Play and Monologue Festival | Thursday, Apr. 20-Saturday, Apr. 22 | Tina McGuire Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave., Asheville | $50 | See heartwarming, dramatic, funny, and provocative original works from emerging Black playwrights in this festival’s final weekend.
Friday, April 21
  • Spring Student Art and Ceramics Sale | Friday, Apr. 21-Saturday, Apr. 22 | Times vary | University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1 University Hts., Asheville | Free | A wide variety of functional and decorative pottery, prints, and other artwork created by UNC Asheville students will be on sale.
  • Beer Flight | Friday, April 21-Sunday, May 21 | Times vary | S&W Market - Highland Brewing Downtown, 56 Patton Ave., Asheville | $45-$55 | Enjoy the fine brews from multiple downtown breweries and the company of a hilarious drag queen wannabe flight attendant on this two-hour first-class “beer flight.”
  • Opening Reception for Nancy Friedland & Sylvia Fernandez at Tyger Tyger | Friday, Apr. 21 | 5-8 p.m. | Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St. #144, Asheville | Free | Meet the artists on Friday for the opening reception of two shows by internationally renowned painters Nancy Friedland + Sylvia Fernandez, while enjoying wine, music, and catering by New Stock Pantry.*
Saturday, April 22
  • Maker Faire Asheville 2023 | Saturday, Apr. 22 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr., Asheville | Free | This all-ages gathering is part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, featuring tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators + tinkerers of all kinds.
  • Asheville Bread Festival | Saturday, Apr. 22-Monday, Apr. 24 | Various locations, Asheville | $20-$40 | The 16th edition of this annual event includes workshops, tastings, demos, and other bread-centric events.
  • Friends of the East Asheville Library Bag O’ Books Sale | Saturday, Apr. 22 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Rd., Asheville | $5 | Fill up a bag of books for $5 at the library’s semi-annual book sale.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Cause

Healthy produce + recipes = the Y’s Mobile Food Market
Mobile Market participant smiles under a mask as she bags an artichoke.
Mobile Food Markets distribute fresh food for free, along with information on how to store it and practical, cost-effective cooking lessons. | Photo provided by YMCA of WNC
Did you know more than 1.5 million North Carolinians are food insecure?

The YMCA of WNC is working to change that with their Mobile Food Markets. Each month, 8,000+ locals are fed thanks to the farmer’s market style approach where attendees take home all the fresh fruit and vegetables they need at no cost.

Pro tip: It’s currently National Volunteer Week (April 16-23), and the YMCA of WNC is always looking for nutrition volunteers.*
See the mobile market sched
News Notes
Closed
  • Pour one out for one of Asheville’s greatest brunch spots. Sawhorse served its last meal on Sunday, April 16. The Adirondack-themed diner was known for its stellar poutine, buckwheat pancakes, and other maple syrup-adjacent delights. Owner Dan Silo cited staffing issues, burnout, and other industry-wide problems as the reason behind the closure. (Ashevegas)
Civic
  • Effective yesterday, April 18, the Buncombe County Fire Marshal’s Office has issued a ban on open burning in Buncombe County. The reason for the ban? Buncombe currently has “adverse atmospheric conditions” like low humidity and gusty winds, which make for extremely high fire danger. The ban is in effect until Saturday, April 22 at 8 a.m.
Open
  • Furniture and home decor shop Arhaus Studio has opened at 4 S. Tunnel Rd. The 7,215-sqft showroom includes a small showroom, plus 3D room-planning software and touchscreen monitors to help map out interior designs. (Furniture Today)
Trending
  • Diane Keaton was spotted in downtown Asheville on Monday, April 17. The style icon was rocking her signature round top hat and motorcycle platform boots. We’re thinking she was here on business related to this movie filming. Did you see her, too? We’d love to hear about it. (WYFF4)
Concert
  • The White Horse, a 14-year-old venue in Black Mountain, has switched to a nonprofit model. To that end, the venue is launching a membership program and concert series to promote its fundraiser campaign. The series kicks off Friday, April 21 with a “Launch Celebration” featuring local musical all-stars. Tickets are $22.
Ranked
  • Asheville is ranked No. 48 on WalletHub’s list of Best Small Cities for Starting a Business. Our city got props for financing accessibility, workforce educational attainment, average growth in number of small businesses, industry variety.
Try This
  • Featuring thousands of colorful tulips and home to the estate’s annual Biltmore Blooms display, Biltmore Gardens are simply stunning. In case you missed it yesterday, we took a trip through the tulips and explored the benefits of being an Annual Passholder. See our visit, and hop on Annual Passholder seasonal sale prices.*
Home
Celebrate
  • We want to wish a happy birthday to our teammate Stephanie, 6AM City Campaign Strategist. Happy birthday, Stephanie!
Holiday
  • Swap the pinot grigio for something new. Rebel Rabbit is a federally legal, cannabis-infused seltzer designed for anyone interested in cutting back on alcohol without sacrificing the elevated experience of craft beverage. And because every order ships within 24 hours, you can make the most of your 4/20 festivities. Shop.*
Finance
Fun Fact
  • In case you missed it, there’s still a chance to win $500 by taking our brief survey. Your feedback is important to us, and we want to ensure the content we deliver to you is relevant. Take the survey.
 
Seasonal

🌎 Go planet, it’s (almost) your Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day in Asheville
Earth day
It’s especially easy to admire the earth when you live in Asheville. | Photo by @jared_kay
Saturday, April 22 marks Earth Day — an annual holiday that is celebrated by more than a billion people across 193 countries. This year’s campaign is “Invest In Our Planet,” and to help you do so, EarthDay.org has a plethora of resources that can help you get involved on local, national, and global levels. A few of our favorites include:
Interested in volunteering with a local environmental org in honor of Earth Day? Look no further than Asheville GreenWorks and RiverLink.
Earth Day facts
The Wrap
 
AVLtoday-Headshot-Laura-Hackett

Today’s edition by:
Laura
From the editor
After being closed for renovations over the last few weeks, Geraldine’s Bakery has announced it will reopen tomorrow, April 20 with a fresh coat of paint and a shelf full of pastries. I, for one, can’t wait to see the new space.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Catch up on Dark sky week, BIPOC Farmers Market + kitten season.
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